‘The proportionality test does not prevent the recovery of costs that are higher than the sums at issue in litigation, the Senior Costs Judge has said in allowing such a recovery by a host of celebrities awarded damages in the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) phone hacking litigation.’

‘The High Court has criticised a law firm’s “very heavy reliance on partner time”, and the “astonishing” amount of time junior counsel was planning to spend in preparing for trial, as it slashed by more than half many of their budgeted costs for representing two claimants in the phone hacking litigation against Mirror Group Newspapers.’

‘The public inquiry into media ethics following the phone-hacking scandal of 2011 will not be concluded in full. Why is this happening, and what does it mean for freedom of speech and our right to privacy?’

‘The culture secretary, Matt Hancock, confirmed on Thursday that the government would drop plans for the second phase of the Leveson inquiry into press standards launched in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.’

‘A challenge to GCHQ’s use of non-specific warrants to authorise the bulk hacking of smartphones, computers and networks in the UK is starting at the court of appeal.
The case, brought by the campaign group Privacy International (PI), is the latest twist in a protracted battle about both the legality of bulk surveillance and the primacy of civil courts over an intelligence tribunal that operates partly in secret.’

‘Ten years ago the News of the World’s royal editor, Clive Goodman, and the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed for intercepting the voicemails of aides to Prince William and Prince Harry. Andy Coulson resigned from his position as editor of the tabloid shortly afterwards, and an internal investigation concluded phone hacking had been the work of one “rogue reporter”.’

‘A new independent surveillance procedure to prevent police officers granting themselves permission to access personal emails and records of web-browsing history is being established by the government.’

‘Human rights campaign group Liberty has launched a crowdfunded legal challenge to the “sweeping state spying powers” in the newly enacted Investigatory Powers Act, which has been dubbed the snooper’s charter.’

‘“General and indiscriminate retention” of emails and electronic communications by governments is illegal, the EU’s highest court has ruled, in a judgment that could trigger challenges against the UK’s new Investigatory Powers Act – the so-called snooper’s charter.’

‘The publisher of the Daily Mirror has paid out more than £500,000 to settle phone-hacking claims by 29 people including the entertainer Les Dennis, presenter Natasha Kaplinsky and EastEnders actor Steve McFadden.’